The Trial's Price
by Yue in the Stars
Summary: In a world where the dangers of magic are much more prevalent and the Clow Cards are more powerful, Sakura passes her trial, only to find that a scant few remember her Cardcaptor adventures… Or Sakura herself.
1. Chapter 1

**Someone please send me to the loony bin, because I clearly mush be insane to start ANOTHER chapter fic on here... TT_TT**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Sakura gasped, taking deep, haggardly breaths. He body ached with oozing scratched and dark bruises, but she had done it! She passed the trial! "Syaoran-kun! Tomoyo! Kero-chan! I did it!" She laughed breathily. "I did it!" She looked to the side, where normally her friends would be standing, ready to congratulate her after a battle hard won.

But they weren't there. Not like she remembered they should. Syaoran and Tomoyo were fading away, a dazed look in their eyes, as if they were trying to remember something. Panicked, Sakura ran up to then, to grasp them, talk to them, try to help them!

"Tomoyo! Syaoran-kun! W-what's happening? What's wrong?!" She ran to their sides, pushing aside the state of her battered body, tears welling up in her eyes. Despite her tremendous speed, by the time she made it to them, they had almost completely faded. They looked into her eyes one last time before they had faded completely, asking one question that made her heart burst in agonizing sadness and horror, and her knees fall to the ground as she collapsed, sobbing.

" _Who are you…?"_

* * *

 **Well, I'm just a jolly, cheerful person, ain't I? ... Seriously, in real life, I'M the optimistic one, who hates it when a bunch of people joke around with dark stuff, then I write sad, depressing stuff that may or may not include a horror story for class... I'm great~!**

 **So, the premise is, I thought basically, "What if no one remembered her because her trial messed up? That would be so sad!" ... SO, of course I had to write it. Fave, follow, and tell me what you like!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Doo doo doo... Don't mind me, just publishing another chapter and not any pf the other ones I really need to get to updating, la la la... Please don't kill me for being suuuper late!**

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Chapter 1

Years had passed since that day. She had been heartbroken to find, that it was not only those two's mind who she had faded from, it was nearly everyone she know. She still had her precious cards, her wonderful Guardians, but no one else seemed to remember. She could still picture the moment she had returned home, climbing up to her window only to find that her once personalized room was now transformed into a plain, barely furnished guest room.

None of them knew what went wrong. Not Kero, not Yue, not the Cards. Certainly not Sakura.

It was as if she never existed.

Sometimes, the pain got so bad, the only reason she didn't go mad was because of the constant support of Kero, Yue, and her cards.

Kero, her first guardian, kept her spirits up, always being a stable emotional support that she could go to. He would always act goofy, but he was extremely empathetic towards her. He would help her walk through whatever troubles she had, from keeping her emotions in check to a surface to sleep on. Yue, the guardian of her Final Trial, was always willing to tell her the truth, no matter how brutal. He also always knew exactly what she needed to hear, and when. Similarly, he always had the uncanny ability to know exactly when she needed someone help, no matter how good she got at hiding it. Despite being so against her during her trial, he undeniably cared about her, and it was well known that he would do literally anything for her, no matter how simple the request, or how ridiculous it was. He was the more logical of her guardians, and always would help guide her thinking, help make her the right decision.

The two would balance each other out, and together they helped take care of their sweet, sweet mistress.

The cards were also always there. Even when Kero or Yue had to leave to fix or do something, they were always there, surrounding her with their love, especially when she turned them into the Sakura Cards. Mirror was always their spokesperson, and she would always pass on the words that they couldn't say, at least once a week without fail.

They had met Hiiragizawa Eriol when she started turning the cards, but despite being Clow Reed in a past life, he had no idea what happened either, much to everyone's disappointment.

Kero, Yue, the Cards. They trained her, supported her, loved her. Without them, Sakura knew she would have just given up years ago, and never come back from that place.

None of them claimed the wound was healed, because it _wasn't._ It was still a big, gaping hole in her heart, one that would always be there. But them being there lessened the pain, helped her grow and become stronger from it, no matter how raw it would always be.

For a while, it was hard, because if no one remembered her, then all those places that required proof of her identity, her family, everything, she could no longer give. Her school no longer had 'Kinomoto Sakura' in their registry. If she was sick, or if she was hurt, she could no longer go to a clinic, because she could not pay, nor could she give a family member's name. If one were to do a blood test, it would raise questions towards a family that never remembered having a daughter or a sister.

So, they made do.

They worked with the cards, with their disguises, with their magic, tirelessly, until they could forge the necessary documents, until they could pretend.

Soon, Kinomoto Sakura became Sakura Avalon, a half American-half Japanese foreigner. Yue would often pose as Sakura's legal guardian, her father. They told a tragic story of how her mother, who she looked so alike to, died at the birth of Sakura, and they no longer had anymore family. So, being raised like a Japanese, they decided to come to Japan to start again. She was reintegrated into her classes once more, they had a house, a home, and there was always a steady income of money from who knew where. Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that Clow Reed left more than the book behind, a theory that, when brought to Eriol, only made him smile mischievously and pat her hand with a " _Whatever you say, Sakura."_

Yet, despite everything returning to some semblance of normal, she was never quite the same. She only ever acted like her old self around her Guardians, her Cards, and Eriol whenever he was around. She was distant in classes, and never stayed long after school. She refrained from talking to anyone, no matter how much she or they wanted to, for fear she would slip, or just go crazy with what she could remember and they couldn't. She was quiet, calm, emotionless. She never gave a reaction, she just stood there and took it, no matter how much one messed with her, no matter how much they pushed her around.

She had learned to give a poker face scarily similar to Yue's default expression—that, ironically enough, only she could read. She had to, she explained to her companions when they questioned her. If she slipped, there would be too many questions, and having to explain those, or heaven forbid, _having to erase the memories of the slip ups_ , would just cause more pain. If she became friends with them again, she would forever be comparing them to how they were before. So, instead, she would eliminate that factor altogether, no matter how much it hurt, physically or mentally.

They never asked again about it, and they wouldn't question it when she came home with a scratch that wasn't there in the morning, or with a new shirt on and a bag carrying a stained old one, or when she sat down in between her two guardians for hours, eyes suspiciously shiny and tiny shoulders shaking.

But, even for the most pure yet broken of souls, the past has a way of catching up to them…

* * *

Warm paws shook her into awareness from her blank dreams early in the morning. Knowing what that meant, she snuggled further into her blankets hoping for a few extra minutes.

"Sakura."

She resolutely ignored the voice, _Kero_ , she vaguely acknowledged.

"Sakura, you have to get up. It's the first day of school."

She groaned, and turned over, mumbling something about a few more minutes.

"Sakura, don't make me get Watery out again."

 _That_ got her out of bed.

"I'M UP!" Sakura shrieked, flinging herself out of bed, and rolling on the floor in one big tangled mess of limbs and sheets. "DON'T GET WATERY!"

Kero chuckled at the view of a panicked Sakura rushing around the room, getting all her things together. It was almost like old times… "She'll figure out she's early eventually."

"HOEEEEE!"

* * *

Later, a disgruntled Sakura sat at the breakfast table, grumbling. Those around her—Kero, Yue and Mirror—looked on in amusement.

She blinked as a plate full of food was set in front of her. She looked up, fining Yue looking at her in his usual impassive way. "Eat. You will need your strength today."

Sakura sighed, and nodded in agreement, calming down and eating her pancakes. They were good, as usual, she vaguely noted. She also didn't miss the slightly bigger portions Yue had given her. She smiled softly, happy that Yue had been thinking far enough ahead to realize that she would probably need the extra energy today.

Of course, that was just the kind of thinking that was so characteristic of her moon guardian. She really shouldn't be surprised.

Kero, Yue and Mirror exchanged looks that, while silent, had a thousand meanings. Today would be hard for Sakura, they knew. And only one of them could be physically present for support. Alas, he couldn't even say anything as he was pretending to be a plushie.

School was probably the hardest part for all of them, for the Mistress in question and for her overprotective guardians and cards. There were countless memories, and unsaid bullying within those walls each day. Summer vacation was nice, but now it was time to go back.

They all nodded in agreement—they would do their absolute best to help out their Mistress, no matter what.

Their gazes turned back to Sakura, who was quietly eating her breakfast.

They would protect her. No matter what.

* * *

Sakura kept her face carefully blank as she sat in her seat, listening to the teacher dorne on and on about the curriculum and getting to know one another. She hated school. She especially hated this year. _Every single one_ of her old friends were in this class, except for Syaoran, who she assumed was in China, being the Li heir.

She took comfort that Kero was with her, if in her bag, in plush form.

Soon, something her teacher, Ms. Fujioka, put her on edge. "In fact, this year, we have a new transfer student!" _Oh God, please no._ "He will be here for the rest of High School, so please give him a warm welcome!" _Please, please no. Please don't be him. Please!_

Her horror mounted, and her stomach dropped as a hauntingly familiar boy walked into the room, his auburn eyes piercing.

"Please welcome Mr. Li Syaoran!"

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 **Gah... I make every character I write suffer. Aren't I the best?**

 **Tell me, what do you think? How could I make it better? What do you want to see? How do you want the inevitable confrontation between Sakura and Syaoran/Tomoyo/basically her entire group of friends and family to go?**

 **Read, review, like (hopefully), follow!**

 **Hope to see ya soon!  
Yue**


End file.
